Fox of the Desert Mountain
by Universe Creator
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto is far from what he appears to be on the surface, but what is he hiding even deeper underneath? A four-year-old, homeless child taken off the streets, Naruto is raised and trained by Shimura Danzo (DOES NOT JOIN ROOT!). When Naruto is finally ready to be himself, will two girls from different worlds understand him? And will he survive without starting war?
1. Prologue: A Boy with Secrets

A/N: Hi there fellow Fanfiction-fanatics! For those of you that don't know, I'm formerly Wolfy1.29.13, and this is my new Naruto story because I'm trying to start fresh. For those of you that do know me and are expecting my reboot of The Choice: Altered, the next chapter is at 18 pages and counting because I'm just trying to finish the Wave Arc in two parts, and partly as a recompense to you for being on hiatus. I'm also fixing some plot-mistakes in previous chapters that were pointed out to me, but other then that it's the same story.

Anyway, on with this little project! As always; Enjoy, Read, and Review!

Disclaimer: I wish; then it would have been way better. (This counts for the whole story, right?)

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto had difficulty understanding others. He was not slow, quite the opposite, actually. He was perceptive, observant, and merely watching could always yield more information then first-hand experience from what the young blonde knew. Something that was painfully obvious on both those accounts was that he was hated.

Then again, it wasn't quite rocket-science.

Given only the bare minimum to the stretched-thin point even making survival altogether questionable, banned from learning or group-interactions with threats of punishment veiled beneath piss-poor excuses to be sent to his room, not allowed to leave said room in the attic unless summoned to be the matrons' favorite verbal-barb pincushion, and hit when jabs and insults weren't enough, if not completely ignored for more then an hour. This was the near-daily routine of the few necessary first-hand interactions Naruto wishes were not needed. He would have been more then happy for death at this point, but they were absolutely adamant the boy's pitiful existence continue for reasons beyond his own comprehending. So, he must endure. Once, he had tried to make it better, to please his perpetually-angry 'caregivers.'

After six months, Naruto realized that his efforts only gave even MORE opportunities for punishment and negativity. The four-year-old was, understandably, at the end of his rope. What kept him going, gave him the patience of a Buddha to endure this, you ask? Simple; his birthday. The one day a year every child looked forward to and was guaranteed attention for was no exception to the little boy known as Uzumaki Naruto. He loved it more then any child claimed, genuinely treasured it more then any amount of money or food, for it was his one day of salvation.

Naruto hardly remembered the old man wearing red and white robes, but he was able to recognize him from an instinctual-familiarity of sorts, so he knew the man was probably safe. Probably. He didn't know if it was because he had outright told the man of his terrible life, or if he was able to merely infer from appearances. In either case, Naruto knew that the rare euphoria he felt when with the man only meant pain and suffering at the hands of the orphanage after his return, usually lasting up to a week afterwards. Despite being hit, Naruto was never beaten except for on his birthday. So the day actually stirred mixed emotions within the boy.

However, today he had a plan. A rather simple one, in retrospect; lie through his teeth like there was no tomorrow—which there could not be, given the nature of things—and convince the man he was happy despite how he looked. No matter Naruto's immense fear and anxiety, the plan seemingly worked. The old man didn't look angry, upset, or otherwise the entire afternoon. Though the matron's still gave him the 'hidden' looks of contempt on his return, the boy was sure he was safe from his annual torture.

He was so very wrong.

Woken from slumber by a fierce yank of his blonde roots powerful enough to lift his small body in the air, Naruto was thrown head-first to the floor and dragged by his collar to the living room. The lady purposefully ignored every sound, and went agonizingly slow down the stairs, seeming to enjoy every muffled grunt escaping when his head hit the splintery-wood of the stairs hard enough to ensure bruising. Naruto refused to cry or scream with every hit, only caving in on himself to lessen the extent of the damage. After what felt like an endless damnation, lasting an hour for the boy, the curses on his life and blows ceased. Naruto thought it was done, that they would leave him on the floor to crawl back up to his room and hide underneath his covers until morning came.

Once again, he was wrong.

Feeling himself yanked up by the arms and half-dragged, Naruto was too close to passing out to care where they took him. It wasn't until he felt the chilly, autumn-night air on his underdressed-skin that he mustered enough willpower to become aware of his surroundings. Naruto looked up and saw the iron gates of the orphanage open wide, and he was flat on the pavement the next thing he knew, aching and sore. A heavy, blunt foot kicks him in the stomach; further damaging his ribs, before a final shout and the slamming of bars is only half-heard by the prone body on the ground.

An indefinite amount of time comes and goes, Naruto merely lying there until the pain fades enough that he can think clearly. Thinking was his only escape from misery.

_Escape. _The word echoes in Naruto's mind as the blonde slowly and carefully rises to his knees. He's greeted with the sight of the gate, only he's on the outside.

_I'm free. _With that simple fact doing nothing to lift his spirits, Naruto gets to his feet and starts walking. He doesn't know where he's going; only that he's never coming back.

* * *

It had been four days. No one has come looking for him. Naruto doesn't care. He sticks to the filth-ridden alleys, close to the food shops. He feasts like a king on the still-edible scraps thrown in the garbage every day, though he's careful not to overeat. He sleeps underneath park benches, the cool grass somehow softer then his ancient mattress. Today, Naruto decides to go more into the village. Even if the people give him those nasty looks he remembers getting even when he with the old man on his birthday, he should be safe from harm if he doesn't try to draw attention.

Naruto gets lost in the clear sky and the smell of fresh air, letting his mind wander while keeping a close eye (for a four-year-old) on his surroundings and checking his mental-map of the village occasionally. Thanks to this, he manages to stop before he can run into the legs of the first adult to cross his path.

"Little one, are you lost?"

Naruto looks up to see an old man with graying, black hair and a kind smile. Half of his aged face is heavily bandaged, as well as his right arm that's in a sling, and he walks with a cane. Not used to open concern, its all Naruto can do to shake his head no.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto. Who're you, sir?" Though he never got many chances, Naruto's limited vocabulary was well-practiced and he spoke better then most his age. Fear-drilled hospitality resulted in his over-polite mannerisms.

The old man doesn't seem to be put off by this, merely grinning and reaching down to ruffle Naruto's unruly hair. Only his willpower and practice with the old man from his birthday stop Naruto from shrinking back in fear. What was it with old people and ruffling his hair, anyway?

"My name is Shimura Danzo. Are you by yourself, Naruto-kun?" Naruto nods, smiling despite himself as he remembers his newfound freedom. "Well, then, would you like to keep me company? You look a little lonely, and like you could use some new clothes and a nice meal."

Naruto looked down at his tattered, faded, and slightly-oversized clothes that hadn't been washed in two weeks. On top of his skeletal-figure, he probably fit his now-homeless lifestyle perfectly. Looking back to the man with joy glistening in his blue pools, Naruto nods vigorously. Taking hold of a fistful of Danzo's tan kimono in place of a hand, Naruto falls into step with the old man as they walk.

Naruto's life changed forever in that moment.

* * *

"Danzo-Ogiisan, I did it!" Naruto beamed proudly as he pointed to the throwing target, now holding ten kunai all properly embedded in the outlined figure on the wooden pole.

The boy's proclaimed uncle smiled approvingly as he sat on a bench to the side, his cane in his lap. "Very well, Naru-kun. You're improving tremendously. You've effectively mastered the Academy Three."

The boy bounds over excitedly to sit beside his uncle. "Does that mean you'll finally start teaching me Wind Release Jutsu, Ogii-san?"

Danzo chuckles good-naturedly. "Of course I will, boy. I keep my promises, after all."

"Yatta! Thank you, Uncle Danzo!" Naruto cries as he wraps his arms around Danzo in a careful hug. He didn't want to break his uncle, now, did he?

It had been two years since the fateful day the two met. Danzo had given Naruto more then the blonde could have ever wished for. Naruto not only got new clothes, but a home with built-in training areas in both the basement and attic. When Naruto had asked why the house had these, he was shocked beyond his wildest dreams about the answer. That was how Naruto learned what a Hidden village, ninja, and Kage all were. Naruto was surprised to learn the old man with him on his birthday was none other then the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and a friend of his uncle's. When Naruto told Danzo about his birthday with the Hokage and asked him why the Hokage of all people would visit him, Naruto was terrified and fascinated at what his uncle—seemingly reluctantly—revealed.

Naruto was a Jinchuriki, a holder of a special demon called a Tailed Beast. He also held the scariest one ever, the Kyubi no Kitsune. That was why he was hated by everybody except the Hokage and his uncle, Danzo told him, the Kyubi destroyed Konoha the night he was born and the beast was sealed in him by none other then the Fourth Hokage. The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was also Naruto's father.

From that point on, Naruto became absorbed in the goal to become a greater Hokage then his legendary father. He also delved deep into the archives of the village Danzo provided him, detailing not only the village history, but the village ninja clans, missing-nin, legendary ninja, and enemy ninja and villages. He was also given journals about how to talk to and get power from the Kyubi, learning that he could tap into the beast's power. Talking to the scariest demon in history in that weird sewer when he went to sleep was a lot less scary, and a lot weirder, then he thought it would be. He was more grumpy then evil if you knew how to talk to him the right way, which meant inflating his ego a bit and promising to find a way to make his prison a little nicer (Though he snorted at that).

Naruto was initially angry over what the fox had to say about his parents, later being backed up by Danzo, that he was the heir of not one, but TWO clans in Konoha, one of which was related to a FOUNDING clan of the village. Why did everyone keep these things from him? Then Danzo explained that there had been laws established the night he was born, not only making all this a secret—exposed at the penalty of death—but prohibiting anyone from adopting him in fear the power-balance in the village would be swayed. Naruto conceded then that it was smart for Hokage-Jiji to do that stuff when Danzo-Ogiisan pointed out that the Hokage wouldn't have visited him on his birthday if he didn't care about him.

Still, the knowledge only fueled his newfound fire to be the best Hokage, better then his father, no matter what anyone said about him. And so, his training began.

A few days later, Danzo sent him out to the village by himself, and Naruto was surprised to meet a very worried and frantic Sandaime Hokage. Apparently, he'd found out Naruto had been thrown out the day before and searching personally all day when his guards couldn't find him. Being told by his uncle to keep him a secret for a later surprise, the blonde merely told the Hokage he was fine.

That was how Naruto got an apartment and a monthly-allowance. Rather unimpressed with the shabby living quarters and barely-substantial pay, only enough to do little more then pay the rent, but not able to refuse, Naruto disappeared from the surely-watching guards and managed to meet Danzo at his real home. Danzo had a simple solution, and Naruto got a new perspective on the meaning of being in two places, or more, at once. By having a Kage Bushin 'living' at the apartment and collecting allowance, Hiruzen and his guards were none the wiser.

Then, Naruto's idiot persona was born. Why show anybody anything he could do? They'd be scared that the 'Demon Brat' was learning to fight back, anyway. So why let them know? He'd even taken it a step further and began acting as intellectually-stupid as they believed he was, which bordered being downright slow.

"After all," He'd told his uncle. "What better way to be avoided in a ninja village then using a ninja's best tool and painting a target on your back?"

* * *

Danzo watched as his adopted-nephew sparred with some of his Root agents with his new katana. Four years he's been training, and the boy still has yet to disappoint him in his performance. He took to everything like water, save Medical Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, and was already Chunin-level at the least.

The old monkey and his pets called an ANBU-squad knew absolutely nothing. Danzo had to admit, he was his father's son, but the things he came up with showed signs of surpassing Minato in the future. Danzo would kill for his strength and talent, but he knew better then to try and recruit him into Root. He needed the boy's loyalty to the village, not solely with him. If the boy was to one day be the Hokage, and he surely will, Danzo needed there to be no suspicion he was being influenced, even if partially.

It would also be a shame to extinguish the boy's bright personality too. Though he would admit it to no one, Danzo genuinely begun to care for the Uzumaki boy throughout the years, and his smile was a bright spot Danzo hadn't realized he needed. It was good to smile again.

With every year that passed, the boy's true hyperactive tendencies mellowed out more and more as he grasped what being a true ninja meant, though he still loved battle. Underneath that, he had a sharp, pragmatic eye and a developing sense serene calm on the field that would make him the ideal ninja one day. He absorbed Danzo's military lessons with an intent that was rivaled only by his thirst for history and knowledge of enemies and allies. Though it irked Danzo greatly, the boy couldn't seem to see the value of having powerful and influential friends in the right places. Apparently, he had the ideal that if you were strong enough, and you cooperated when need be, you would have enough sway in governmental affairs.

There were downsides to having a puppet with a brain, but the benefits of having him possess freewill outweighed them. Danzo's only hope was that no one discovered their connection, personal or otherwise. He did not want someone to use his soft-spot against him. Damn that foxy little grin. Damn it to Hell.

"Ogii-san, are you sure I really need dance lessons to learn Kenjutsu?" Naruto whined from across the room as he took a break from the circle-drill practice.

Danzo adopted his stern expression that he rarely wore around the boy. "Yes, Naruto-kun, you must. The majority of the Kenjutsu-styles known to your mother's clan were the Seven Sword Dances, given that name because of the elaborate flow and level of footwork every kata of each style required."

"Yes, Uncle, I understand." Naruto said with a sigh as he bowed respectfully. He badly wanted to carry on both of his namesakes and thus, had to master and surpass the legacies his parents had left behind. It was, understandably, a lot of work and pressure to put on himself, but Danzo knew the boy was determined and capable enough.

"Naruto, believe me, there were only a handful of ninja that could match, let alone beat, a fully-mastered swordsman of the Uzumaki. Do you know why?"

"Because, each dance is similar yet different; while they all flow to the same rhythm, each dance is different from the last or next to rely and combat different aspects of several other sword-styles. This makes it almost impossible for there to be a defense that the Uzumaki could not penetrate or an offense they could not defend against and beat. When putting all separate seven styles together in the ultimate Kenjutsu-style of the clan this combined the best aspects of each dance and supported the weaknesses they showed when used alone."

"Very well, Naru-kun, you have been paying even more attention then usual in your studies of clans, I see."

"Of course, Uncle, I am joining the Academy in only three weeks, after all."

"Ah, so you are sizing up your potential enemies and allies, then. Have you any ideas whom are which?"

"Absolutely, Ogii-san." Naruto gives his trademark grin as he sheathes his sword and moves to sit beside his uncle on his customary bench. "From what I have read, the Nara, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, and Hyuga clans are the best to go to for potential alliances on the field."

"Oh, I see; a tactical and stealth specialist that can also provide immobilization, an interrogation specialist, a tracker, and a deception-finder or secondary-tracker as well as a healer. Meanwhile you provide the brute force and muscle. You are very clever, Naruto, very clever indeed. However, what of the Uchiha, Akimichi, and Aburame clans? Do they not at least warrant possible allies?"

Naruto hums noncommittally. "Well, Aburame and Akimichi are considered neutral in that regard, meaning I will not work against them, but I also would not openly approach them. They hold little power or usefulness in both of their respective fields of team-contribution, especially compared to the others. Inuzuka trumps Aburame in tracking and I provide enough strength. The Uchiha…"

"Yes?" Danzo raises an eyebrow. What would the boy have against the Uchiha?

"They are militarists, like us, but they care little for the actual well-being of the village. While they have heavy sway in politics and strength to back it up, they try to steer everything so that they and their associates benefit, not caring whether others are helped or hurt from it. Not only that, but they have a history of betrayal to both allies and family, killing members of the clan close to them so that they may advance their already fierce power through the nerves in the brain that are affected by loss and therefore affect their Dojutsu, the Sharingan. That is something I cannot stand for, both for the sake of our village and morally as a person, Ogii-san."

Danzo nods, but stays silent otherwise. He had to agree with the boy—he was the one to give him the files yielding that information in the first place—but he had hoped that the Uchiha would remain loyal should the village—and himself—prove their usefulness until a more permanent solution could be found to secure their cooperation. Danzo also completely agreed with their methods, so they had many common goals and interests to stay in the Uchiha's good graces.

Not that he would tell the boy that, of course. And Danzo prayed he would never find out, but there were certain collections in the Namikaze Estates that might be rather…informatively negative to Naruto. He had tried to get Naruto to come with him to bypass the Estates boundary-seals, which, only blood-relatives or people granted access could do, but Naruto had refused on the grounds that the Hokage likely had the place guarded and to claim his rightful access would mean he must relinquish the element of surprise he currently held, something he did not want to give up until the opportunity was neigh or he had no other choice.

Danzo hated it when the boy's logic was undefeatable, something that happened often these days with his growing intellect without Danzo giving important things away, but he would merely need to bide his time and hope that he would be able to get to them before Naruto when such a time and chance did arise.

"So, would you be willing to demonstrate this 'next phase' of your mask for me?"

Naruto gives another of his scandalously-endearing grins. He'd been telling Danzo for weeks now that he had something "horrifyingly-unbelievable" planned. "Hai."

Naruto stands in clear view of Danzo and performs the ram hand sign. In a puff of white smoke, a monstrosity appears before Danzo's eyes. "Naru…to?"

"Yes Uncle?"

"What…is that…thing?"

The boy's chest puffs out in pride, his hands on his hips. "It's my new wardrobe!"

Danzo's jaw hits the floor.

In front of him is Naruto, wearing an almost neon-orange jumpsuit with a white collar, blue patches on the shoulders, and orange pants. The outfit is completed with a pair of hideous goggles and blue Shinobi sandals. It hurts just to look at it.

"Naruto…"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a death wish?"

The boy's grin is nearly face-splitting. "Nope."

"Then…why…?"

"Uncle what have I always stated was my reason for my performances?"

"I believe you said; 'What better way to be avoided in a ninja village then using a ninja's best tool and painting a target on your back?' If my memory serves me correctly, that is."

"Exactly! This thing is so bright, that people won't even want to look at me!"

It took all Danzo's willpower to stay off the floor. "I…see. Naruto,"

"Hmm?"

"You were right when you described this as 'horrifyingly-unbelievable,' my boy."

* * *

Naruto lazily spun his pencil between his index finger and thumb while he stared out the window, pretending to be in a daydream while he was really thinking about the present Uncle Danzo had claimed to have for him if he pulled his act together enough to pass the Graduation Exam this time around. For four years the Academy had been nothing but a waste of time that was occasionally amusing to the hidden blonde, but that was expected of someone capable of graduating since they were six.

The only thing that Naruto actually tried at was to make friends, and while he'd managed to find some unexpected acquaintances in Akimichi Choji and Higarashi Tenten, only Nara Shikamaru and Hyuga Hinata of his pre-determined group seemed willing to even talk to him. It seemed most children followed their parents' example, even if they didn't know why. That was depressing to the blonde; if he was going to be Hokage, he needed the majority of the village's clans on his side. Oh well, he'd win them with time. After all, he wasn't what everyone accused him of being.

At least he had some friends, and he liked having more targets and resources for his pranks, though he only pranked those who deserved it for thinking him possessed and not really trying to hide it. There was only one teacher he liked, Umino Iruka. Naruto had read all the teacher and staff background reports, and what he learned of Iruka-sensei made him smile and strengthen his hope of a better future.

Like only a handful of people, Iruka was one person of the older generation—outside of the council—who knew of his Jinchuriki status, but he, like many people, did not know of his lineage. Iruka was also one of the hundreds who'd lost his family to the fox's attack, and yet he was one of the people who Naruto could count on one hand that treated him like the person he was. It almost made Naruto regret having to hide who he really was to everybody. Almost.

"Uzumaki Naruto…Uzumaki Naruto…NARUTO!" Naruto pretends to be startled at the teacher's shout.

"H-Hai?"

"We will now begin the proctoring of the Genin Graduation Exam, if you would grace us with your attention?"

Naruto nods, sitting up straight and eyes focused ahead intently while he tunes out Iruka's droll reading of the exam instructions. As soon as a test is placed in front of him, Naruto makes a show of being terrified. All throughout the test, he pretends to be stuck and panicking, taking until the very last minute. On the inside, Naruto is laughing himself sick. After pulling this twice, the performance was too easy. Only this time, he'd make sure to get a 79% instead of a flat zero. During the second part of the exams, Naruto got an 8/10 instead of 7 like he'd planned on the throwing practice. Damn muscle-memory. Finally the third part came. The Jutsu-portion was supposed to be his worst because he 'couldn't' make even one Bushin right (Stupid fuzz-ball).

Naruto stands in front of Iruka and Mizuki pretending to be near-buckling from anxiety, and it does not go unnoticed by the blonde that Mizuki is feeling more genuinely nervous then he is and poorly concealing it.

"Okay, Naruto, I don't think I have to remind you that if you fail this time, you will be held back a year."

Naruto gulps and nods.

"Alright, I need you to perform a henge."

A hand sign, poof of smoke, and five seconds later a copy of Iruka is standing in front of the two teachers.

"Good, now dispel and perform a substitution."

Naruto switches places with a desk in the corner of the otherwise empty room, then switches back.

"Okay, Naruto, I need you to make at least three Bushin for me, and good luck."

Smiling in mock-nervousness, Naruto makes the hand sign and calls the name of the Jutsu. Channeling enough chakra for one Kage Bushin and imagining a hollow vision of himself in five places at once, the popping sound and smoke fill the room. Hearing Iruka and Mizuki gasp as the room clears, Naruto smiles a foxy grin. Five holograms of Naruto stand next to the original. Naruto listens and thanks Iruka for the gushes of praises and the I-knew-you-could-do-it's, not failing to miss the look of absolute mortification perfectly mixed with hate on Mizuki's face. Naruto has no problem ignoring the white-hot daggers digging into his back as he leaves with his new forehead protector around his forehead, either.

While a clone celebrates with an all-you-can-eat-ramen night (Naruto suppresses a shudder), the real Naruto takes the careful shortcut to his house disguised as a four-year-old boy with no whiskers and brown hair. After gaining entrance through the back pathway and going to the basement door, Naruto lets both his disguises drop. Danzo is waiting for him in the center of the basement floor, obviously surprised to see the real Naruto descending the stairs.

"Naruto-kun, I take it this means you're ready?"

"For my present, I am. I will not reveal myself yet, Ogii-san." Naruto replies with a genuine smile of cool amusement.

"But-"

"I merely wished to be in a more comfortable skin, Uncle Danzo."

Danzo eyes the pre-teen before him. "So long as I am not faced with that offense to the senses, it is fine, then."

Naruto nods. Being average height now, Naruto reaches Danzo's shoulder and does not have to crick his neck to look him in the eyes and convey his agreement on the blinding eyesore he chose to call attire for the past four years. He'd much more prefer his slightly-baggy, beige, cargo-pants and his short-sleeved, black, t-shirt sporting an over-sized Uzumaki-swirl on the middle of his back. It also felt good to wear socks and his all-black tennis shoes again, since sandals—meaning your toes are exposed and easy to step on—made him feel uneasy.

Danzo smirks a bit as he looks his nephew over. "I will admit, it's odd to not see that blonde forest-fire you call a mop of hair."

Naruto grimaces at the nerve Danzo knowingly hit. He loved his father, even if he'd never met the man, but Naruto had no clue how he dealt with having such unruly hair all the time. It was just bothersome to Naruto, how liked to keep a neat appearance, and the reason he woke up an hour earlier then needed everyday to straighten and gel his hair so that it was both flat and precisely parted. Hair was not meant to defy gravity when one was right-side up, damn it, it just shouldn't! It was also why he loathed anyone ruffling his hair, because, even in a henge (Which were solid transformations instead of illusions as another side-effect from the fox), his perfect hair was ruined and all his work for naught.

Seeing the annoyed expression on Naruto's face, Danzo allowed a chuckle. "Regardless, I bet you're curious as to your present for graduating."

Naruto's face becomes schooled into a mask of calm indifference, his curiosity only showing in his eyes. "Yes, Ogii-san, I am." He replies in a slight-monotone.

Danzo matches his sudden, serious demeanor as a Root agent appears holding a blue, gift-wrapped box tall and wide enough to hide his entire torso. The agent lays the present, complete with a bright-orange bow, in-between Naruto and Danzo and disappears just as he came after giving a respectful bow to both of them. Naruto proceeds to stare at the box wide-eyed and dumbfounded. Sure, he'd gotten presents from both Jiji and Danzo on his birthdays, but this had to be the biggest present he'd ever seen.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?"

Naruto gives a quick flicker of his gaze to see Danzo's expectant face before hesitantly kneeling to carefully remove the wrapping paper from the box. Quickly peeling off the concealing-tape and flipping open the box's flaps, Naruto is greeted with a sight he surely wasn't expecting. Clothes and ninja gear take up half the giant box's volume.

"Uncle?" Naruto looks up with a question in his eyes, but Danzo merely smiles and nods, saying with his eyes for Naruto to go on.

The blonde carefully removes everything from the box one at a time, taking a donated amount to appropriately admire each and every piece of what seems to be a completely new ensemble.

"So, would you like to try it on?"

"Of course!" Naruto gives one of his foxy grins. "Thank you, Ogii-san!" Not one to be shy of his body, Naruto strips and dresses in the new clothes slowly, relishing the feel of the new surprisingly light and stretchy fabric and the welcoming tightness of his new shoes.

Danzo helps him in the concealed armor that goes with it. Consisting of a utility belt—with dual kunai-pouches at the hips (twice as large as normal so they rest about mid-thigh and are wide enough to cover the entire hip) and a fanny-pack holding smoke, teargas, and flash grenades as well as one through five level explosive-tags—arm-gauntlets with a strapped-on metal layer going from just below the knuckles of his fist to just above the elbow, leg-protectors that covered the knee, inner-thigh, as well as the backs and front of the legs, and came with metal knee-pads. All of the armor seemed to be made of black, padded-velvet that did little to restrict his movements and still thoroughly protected his normally-exposed body. The only part of the armor not concealed is a flack jacket, similar to the ones Chunin and Jonin wear only a dark-red in color and missing any Fishcake-swirl.

Before putting on the rest, Naruto goes to the full-body mirror on the back of the basement's supply-closet door to examine himself. Underneath the flack-jacket, he wears a simple, long-sleeved, black shirt. On the both sleeves are flames going from the sleeves' edges to the bend of the elbow, the lefts red and the rights white in color. The only part of the arm-gauntlets visible being his hand, but without the metal it would just look like he were wearing black, leather gloves. His pants are black pants that feel like sweatpants and look like black jeans. Running down both sides of the pants are two vertical stripes, one red and the other white to match the shirt's flames. On his feet are shin-high, black, boots with steel toes and thick tread fit for climbing both slick and mountainous-terrain with ease. The boots cover what the concealed leg-armor doesn't. His new utility belt is surprisingly slim and light as well, the new compartments looking right at home with the rest of the new outfit.

"Naruto, there are still some finishing touches." Danzo calls as he watches the boy examine himself.

Naruto obediently returns to Danzo's side and turns around, holding his arms out from his sides, as instructed. Naruto feels a long jacket, then a necklace on a thin, metal chain, and finally a new headband put on him. Turning back around to face his uncle, Naruto merely receives a soft smile and nod towards the mirror. Returning once more to look at himself, Naruto is astounded.

Over his clothes and armor is a short-sleeved, crimson-red cloak, looking uncannily similar to his father's Hokage-cloak for all intense purposes. It is detailed with bright, golden flames licking the bottom and sleeves in a similar manner to its predecessor as well. The golden chain clipping the cloak in place ends with an inch of excess length, leaving the spear-heads on both ends to dangle and jingle with every movement, much to Naruto's curiosity. Around his neck on a thin, golden chain is a flat and thin disk made of cold metal and painted to look like an Uzumaki-swirl. Wrapped around his forehead is a new Konoha-nin headband, the clashing halves of red and gold cloth separated by the metal inscribed with the Fire Country insignia.

Naruto turns around to see the back of the cloak, expecting to see 'Fifth Hokage' in gold kanji down it. Naruto's eyes fill with tears when he sees something even better. Rising from the fire skirting the cloak's edge is a Kitsune's head with a tail like a falling star to show its origins. The fox's eyes are white with slits for pupils colored as red as the cloak, and out of its open maw shoots a small stream of fire that wraps around to frame the words 'Greatest Hokage'—written in black kanji—in a perfect, rectangular-frame of the same golden, crackling fire.

Naruto doesn't give him time to react before Danzo is crushed in a tight hug. "It's amazing, Uncle! I love it!"

After being released, Danzo smiles a grandfatherly-smile. "I knew you would. Now, there's just one more thing."

Naruto's eyes light up, then give way to confusion when Danzo flips over the Fishcake of his necklace to reveal a seal. "A storage seal?"

"That's right. Naruto, I want you to channel the smallest amount of chakra you can and activate this."

Following the bewildering instructions, the blonde takes the edge of the metal accessory between his thumb and index finger. Channeling the tiniest bit of chakra through his fingers, Naruto whispers, "Seal."

The seal flares to life, and, to Naruto's amazement, sucks in his current outfit, leaving him in underwear and socks with the necklace still around his throat. "Uncle…"

Danzo smirks. "Anytime you wish to wear that outfit, simply channel the smallest amount of chakra you can and make a mental image of yourself wearing it. Whatever clothes you were wearing before will not be absorbed, so long as you use the bare minimum of chakra you can. You also will not wear this over your normal clothes, as both outfits merely switch places until you activate the seal again."

"I understand." Naruto gives a quick bow before quickly re-dressing in his original clothes.

"Now, you may not have noticed, but on the inside of your cloak are four hidden pockets. In them is everything you may ever need on a mission. In the concealed, right, breast-pocket are matches, flint, a lighter, and a pocket knife with various uses." He holds up his bandaged-hand to forestall protests. "Believe me boy, there could come a time when you are completely out of chakra and barely able to move with no weapon on your little 'costume.' You will need to find a secluded place and build camp."

"You are understood, sir. You have my apologies."

Danzo grunts and continues with the explanation. "In the left breast-pocket are food pills, blood supplements, pain killers, and nausea relievers, all in small baggies that are respectively labeled. In the deep side-pockets are numerous scrolls, all labeled based on the general category of things they contain on the handle."

Naruto immediately changes and takes out the scrolls of both pockets and juggles them in his arms to read the eight total labels. "Let's see…food, water, camp, weapons, medical, intelligence, gear, and storage."

Putting all the scrolls back four per pocket, Naruto seals the outfit again and grins at his uncle. "I am very grateful to you, Danzo-Ogiisan."

"There is no need, boy. I am merely keeping your best interests at heart, understand?" Naruto nods. "Good, then, good luck, Naruto. I look forward to the day you reveal who you really are."

"As do I, Uncle, as do I."

* * *

Naruto was surprised to hear from Danzo that Mizuki was taken into ANBU custody for trying to take the Forbidden Jutsu scroll from the Hokage Tower later that night. Not that he thought anything of it. After all, what would he have to do with it?

* * *

A/N: So, what do you guys think? Just for those of you that think Danzo might have been lying when he said he truly cared for Naruto, I thought I'd add in that end scene. This will come into play in the future, and hey, maybe Danzo won't be completely evil in this story, just a jerk with a heart of gold. Maybe. ;)

Anyway, yes, it is entirely plausible that Danzo got his hands on the Shodaime's journals (or a copy of them from his connections) about the Kyubi by raiding the Senju Compound. Unlike the Namikaze Estates, the rest of the Clan Compounds are not bobby-trapped and secured. Plus, the Senju is an even more special case, considering the only Senju still alive has been gone for at least a decade, and is likely easy to break into if you know a way around the ANBU that might **occasionally **check on it (Or guarding, regardless; they are still people, after all). We all know that Danzo can do and know WAY more things then he should be able to. Don't freak out, at this point, Naruto can only go into the Two Tails state, after two years of training with only the journals for help.

Oh, and for an idea of what his hair looks like it; really is just his hair straight. Look it up on Google Images if you can't picture it.


	2. I'M ALIVE!

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: **Does anybody know what happened to the author HalfwayParanoid? I tried PM-ing her a week ago and she hasn't responded. For those of you she contacted about this and CA being on hiatus, I asked her to tell you, so I hope you didn't report her. I would have done it myself but…well, I had no computer. Anyway, if anybody knows please tell me; I'm just a little worried. I'd hate for her to have gotten in trouble on my account. * **END OF NOTICE**

Hey guys! Okay, so I know I've been gone forever, but it's because of a little thing called life. First, my old computer died; taking everything I had on there with it. I've only managed to re-upload things on my brand-new one that I received as a much begged-for early-birthday gift (18 days to go!) like my videos and games, but that means everything; my notes on new and old fics, finished and half-written chapters, all the stuff like that is gone. On top of that my teacher's went on strike and the school is facing shut-down, so I've had to deal with that craziness.

Now, I AM NOT abandoning this fic, since it's just started. I do want to say however, that you will have to wait for any updates, and now EVEN LONGER for Choice Altered to be rebooted. The good news on CA is that I don't have to start from scratch, since the story is still on my old account and I can just copy it from there.

On a final and much happier note…wow. 55 favorites, 63 followers, and over 1200 views for the FIRST CHAPTER~! **THANK YOU GUYS, SO MUCH! **I nearly died when I got on here and saw that. *cries tears of joy*

Long story short, it's going to be a long process and I hope you guys stick with me. (Pretty please? )


	3. Chunin Exams, Girmaces, & Snake Faces

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, sadly

* * *

Naruto emerged from the bathroom groomed and showered as per his routine. Glancing at his bedside clock, the blonde Jinchuriki saw that he still had the entire morning to himself. Kakashi had called off team meetings since today was the official start of the Chunin Exams. Unsealing his gifted-clothes from his uncle's necklace that lay on his bedside table, Naruto suited up in the outfit while leaving the necklace. As he dressed for the day in front of the mirror, the blonde couldn't help but smile as he remembered what today truly meant.

* * *

_It had been three months. When Danzo went for his bi-weekly check-in on his nephew, he was pleasantly surprised to find the boy simply meditating in the outfit Danzo had given him for graduation._

"_Naruto, I have some news."_

"_If this is about the Chunin Exams taking place in two weeks, I am already aware of them, Uncle. Ninja from other countries are already coming in, albeit very slowly and quietly." Naruto stands at his full height, his hands on his hips and a smug smile on his lips. "And you should be happy to know that I am going to reveal myself on the last day of registration tomorrow."_

_Danzo's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Why are you choosing to do this now, Naruto?"_

_The blonde's eyes narrow in displeasure. "Because today, my 'team' and I ran into a squad of visiting Suna-nin, and one of them is the Jinchuriki of Shukaku the Ichibi, Sabaku no Gaara."_

* * *

Naruto frowned as he finished tying his headband and double-checking how everything felt. Gaara had seemed a dangerous opponent but his teammates were hardly threats, and they had talked the most talk. It was funny how the world worked sometimes. Regardless, Naruto needed to be fully prepared for whatever Gaara might have in store. He had seemed far from the safe side of the mental-health scale.

Unhurried, Naruto decided a big and balanced breakfast was a good idea. Luckily, he had his clones already loading the table with food when he walked into the kitchen. Demolishing the feast at a moderate pace while the clones began clean-up, Naruto was wondering what he should do with his time. He had until two this afternoon to get registered, there was no doubt he and the others of the team were all participating (Sasuke to prove his strength and Sakura to attach herself to her blind little crush), and he didn't want to tire his body out with training before the main event.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to double-check my readings and see if I missed anything." He says to no one in particular with a shrug.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he waited at the Academy's gate, scroll in hand. It had already been two hours since he'd decided to come and there was no sign of his team. He'd seen many ninja squads already passing through to register, and there was no doubt the place was already packed, so being the last ones in will really make it difficult to get where they needed to go. Naruto, at least, had spent his time wisely. Sasuke was probably training since last night and Sakura was probably worrying about how she looked in the mirror all morning. Of all the people he could have had for teammates, he got stuck with those two. Worse, he had no chance to make it really bearable, being in his idiot persona twenty-four/seven. Still, the advantages such a prolonged-performance gave were well worth the torture of keeping it up 'till now, even his uncle agreed on that.

_Uncle…_ Naruto frowns. The term brought mixed feelings after these last few years. Despite appearances, Naruto was always cautious, never fully trusting anyone or anything until he had proof to do otherwise. While his uncle was the closest person to his heart, he had not earned that complete trust. Naruto knew there was…something off about Danzo. He had to be hiding something.

It all started around the time he was eight. Whenever Naruto preformed the Signature Sensory Jutsu—a Jutsu that allowed chakra signatures to bounce off your own, when you sent it out through the ground from your feet and the air through your ears, like sound waves—with Danzo in the vicinity he got weird readings; eleven readings that all matched up, but completely clashed with Danzo's as if they were foreign objects. Danzo had said it was the residual side-effect of his accident a few years before Naruto was born. He was also always pestering Naruto about revealing himself and claiming his heritage, as well as trying to 'make friends in the right places.'

That just screamed ulterior-motive.

But he did still love his uncle, he had given Naruto a home and made him stronger then he could ever have dreamed of being. He taught him everything. Though there was also the question of why he knew a lot of what he did, but it stood to reason. It wasn't like Naruto didn't have his secrets from Danzo either, one being that he was onto him. Another of those secrets was that he sometimes spied on council meetings via a henged shadow clone of a hidden ANBU. It was good to learn about politics both firsthand and from an unbiased source if he was going to be the head of two clans. For once, there was something good about Jiji's constant security detail.

Just as his watch strikes 1:30, Naruto sees who he was waiting for walking up the street. Rolling up his scroll with a practiced ease and putting it inside his cloak, Naruto straightens and walks calmly out to meet them with a mask of indifference on his face. Sasuke and Sakura look at him like a stranger in their way, the former offended the latter curious.

"Hey guys, I didn't think you'd be coming this late. We're one of the last teams in, dattebayo."

Both of their eyes widen as they look him over in disbelief, but it's Sakura who speaks. "N-Naruto? Is that you?"

"Who else were you expecting?" He asks as he grins down at her.

"But…you…What's going on?"

"I've been sorta telling lies to everybody my whole life about pretty much everything. Now, c'mon; we shouldn't waste anymore time." Naruto turns and starts walking away, stopping to look over his shoulder at the duo. "Try not to think about it too much. It's simple; I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and that's all you need to know. Got it?"

It might be blunt, but it gets them moving, if only on instinct. Making their way to the second floor with little difficulty, the team's greeted with the main crowd all gathered around one door as they try to push through.

_Can they seriously not see through this Genjutsu? It's not even that; common sense should tell you this is only the second floor. If this is the competition from the home team, Konoha's future depends on me being Hokage. Hooray. _Naruto mentally sighs, looking out of the corner of his eye to see that Sasuke and Sakura see it too. _Good to see these two aren't _that _inept. To think most guys here are a year older then us, at least._

Naruto sighs as he looks at them all, only half-regretting the need to tell them out of obligation to fellow Leaf-nin, temporary future-enemies or not. It's not like the stragglers wouldn't get mowed down anyway. "HEY, listen up! This is a GENJUTSU! You're on the SECOND FLOOR!"

"Naruto!" Sakura hisses as everyone turns to them sporting offended expressions. She's baffled when the blonde ignores her completely, merely turning with a blank face from the crowd to continue on his way.

"Naruto? Is that you?"

Naruto stops and looks in the familiar voice's direction with a raised brow. Locating the waving-figure, Naruto gives a true smile. "Ten-chan, I take it you came for the exams?"

Taking the invitation to come over, the bun-haired girl easily slips through the crowd. "You bet. I'm still kinda miffed Gai-sensei didn't let us participate last year, especially after getting a view of the competitors." She says in a bored tone, jutting a thumb at the crowd.

"Yeah, I hope the foreigners put up something of real fight if _this_ is our side." Noticing the flat-out once-over she's giving him, circling like a hawk for a full view even, Naruto gives a smirk. "See something you like?"

"All I see is a friend in the form of a stranger. I know you always said people don't really know you, but…wow."

Naruto smiled, that was Tenten for you. He'd met her his first year at the Academy when he'd helped her defend Rock Lee from bullies, then again when he'd gone to the Little Dragon's weapon's shop and was surprised to find her dad, Higarashi Uryuu, ran the place and all three of them had a deeper appreciation for steel and weapons. Naruto also made some extra Ryo by helping refill their storage scroll supply for half the price of what they went for. Tenten had seen a lot more of his true self then he honestly cared to show, or what anyone else saw, but that only scratched the surface as far as a fraction of his normal mentality, and the same went for Uryuu.

"So, I take it the brooding baby and Bushy Brow are here too?"

"Hello, Uzumaki-san." Neji says coldly as he and Rock Lee walk to Tenten's side after noticing her disappearance, the Hyuga boy looking him up and down once. "Trading in one monstrosity for another, I see."

"Yosh! Naruto-san is now burning with the flames of youth inside and out! Your attire is most inspiring!" Lee says, striking a nice guy pose.

"It was a gift, Hyuga-san, and one I am proud to wear. Thank you for your compliment, Lee-san." Naruto responds with a smirk when Tenten punches Neji's arm. "So, I take it you were following my footsteps and trying to seem weak to the others, Ten-chan?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Tenten responds with a wink.

Naruto nods in understanding. "Well, see you in the exams, Ten-chan, Lee-san… and Hyuga-san." Saying the last name with notable disdain, Naruto turns and nods to his two clueless teammates before resuming his walk once more.

The team of three comes to a surprising stop once they see their scarecrow-sensei leaning against 301's door. The Jonin looks up from his inseparable book, his eyes immediately widening and landing on the grinning blonde of the group.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, it's nice to see you came to support us." Naruto steps forward, raising his hand in greeting before extending it for a handshake as well. The dumbfounded man replies and briefly shakes Naruto's hand before clearing his throat to speak.

"Well, I just wanted to say I'm glad you're all here, and good luck." He lets out quickly, not quite recovering from his confusion, and then moves from the door to allow them entry.

Hurriedly reading the passed note in his palm, Kakashi's eye visibly widens and his color drains. '_My father would be proud of both of us, no matter what. A clone is waiting at my apartment to explain.' This…could be very bad. _

Distressed at the sudden and disturbing revelation and its unknown implications, Kakashi vanishes in a sushin to the specified meeting place while his squad is greeted by the sight of at least one-hundred other Shinobi in the classroom, all of them flaring a substantial amount of killing intent.

_Well, well, we have ninja from all over for this little test. Why don't we show them who they're dealing with, Kurama? _Naruto thinks with a satisfied smile.

From deep within his subconscious, a reply reverberates. _**My thoughts exactly, kit. These pathetic ningen should be put in their place.**_

Releasing a minimal-dose of the Nine-Tail's killing intent mixed with half of his own, Naruto is amused as only a handful can even keep a shred of composure, let alone hide any signs of shock. Sasuke and Sakura also feel the affects of this, wondering even more then before what the hell happened to the blonde idiot they thought was Naruto with far more urgency and disbelief. Mentally sharing a laugh with Kurama as he allows the fox a peek through his eyes, Naruto promises to visit him later before cutting the connection. Having known the fox for four years and training with him for the last two, Naruto is fairly acquainted with his life-long roommate and has earned a fair amount of the fox's hard-earned respect, even. Not just for his strength and stubbornness displayed when training, but for his ruthlessness when it comes to trust and deception. They were friends—much to the fox's denial—and partners, if ever Kurama felt like cooperating.

About to break the unsettling silence and question Naruto, only to be interrupted by a glomp from behind, Sasuke glares at the other blonde now quite literally attached to him.

"Sasuke-kun, I missed you!" Ino squeals, wrapping her legs around Sasuke's waist to further secure her hold.

"Ino-pig!" Sakura shouts indignantly, cut short when a new, rather bored voice comes into the 'conversation.'

"Get off him, Ino. We don't have time for your troublesome games."

"Lighten up, Nara. This place could use some action." Yet another voice replies as everyone turns to see the newcomers.

"Hey, all three rookie-squads are together, huh? Good to see you, Shika, Choji, Hinata." Naruto greets only his three friends out of the nine-person group, earning baffled looks from them and everyone else.

"Do we *munch* know you?" Choji asks between mouthfuls of chips.

"Hey…so these are your true colors, huh, Naruto?"

Everyone looks incredulously to Shikamaru, then back to a fuax-pouting Naruto. "Shika, you were supposed to let me tell them!" He whines mockingly. Much to Naruto's satisfaction, four out of the six jaws drop to the floor in shock, with Hinata and Shikamaru just smiling. "When did you figure it out, huh?"

"Oh, looking back, I'd say around halfway through the second year of the Academy. The more elaborate your pranks got, the harder it was to believe you were as stupid as your grades said you were. Still, I have to say that the whole new wardrobe and sudden growth-spurt are unexpected. Welcome, but unexpected." Shikamaru says while getting in his classic thinking-pose.

"So it took an actual genius to figure it out?" Naruto shakes his head before turning to the Hyuga-heiress. "And I don't think I have to guess when you figured it out, do I, Hinata-chan?"

The lavender-haired girl shakes her head at the rhetorical question.

The two had quite an interesting story, indeed; after saving her from childish-bullies, Naruto had discovered he had a, for once, harmless stalker on his way home one day. Dropping his idiot mask partially for the fraction of a second, Naruto had popped up right behind her and gently confronted her. The poor girl had been both disappointed and scared out of her wits as Naruto calmly used rhetorical questions to deduce both her actions and feelings, and calmly rejected the latter. However, he had told her he would have no problem being her friend, both inside and outside of school. Having pretended to have been confused at her reluctance to be with him outside of school hours and grounds, Naruto decided not to push her, but did voluntarily make himself her 'confidence coach.'

That was how he met the tight-wad known as Hyuga Neji, verbally-kicking his ass up and down the street on more then one occasion, after and including their first meeting. Seeing the blatant disregard and loathing his friend received from her cousin, and having read about the Hyuga kidnapping incident during the peace treaty-signing, Naruto refused to let Neji blame Hinata for his father's very willing sacrifice and circumstances out of his control that made him a branch member of the Hyuga clan. While not agreeing with the Hyuga's family-division, Naruto had no say in the matter and knew when not to stick his nose into another fire entirely.

Vehemently disagreeing with the pompous boy's view on fate with his own circumstances as well, the blonde has known for a very long time that they will never see eye to eye. So long as he still had a friend in Hinata, Naruto had no qualms with his 'enemy.'

Needless to say, Hinata had trouble with his instruction, but did gain a tiny bit of a backbone and stopped stuttering, at the least. While it was hard at first, Hinata also eventually completely got over her feelings for him, her affection fading into the care of a strong friendship. She never saw another glimpse of the real Naruto, though, nor did anyone ever see it save Tenten and her father.

"Big whoop; it doesn't matter what you look like, my team is still going to clean the house." The loud-mouth Inuzuka Kiba grins ferally, earning him an eye-roll and otherwise ignorance from Naruto as the blonde nods curtly to the unaddressed Aburame Shino.

"I wouldn't talk so loud if I were you guys." Turning once again, the group sees one of the older Genin approaching, his long silver hair tied in a ponytail and his purple-colored attire rather plain as his black eyes are briefly hidden by the light's reflection off of his glasses.

"I'd say over-confidence is the issue, rather then volume. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, who're you?" Naruto greets with a somber frown. He didn't like people sticking their noses in someone else's business, especially in a know-it-all manner; it usually meant bad things.

"Ah, I'm Yakushi Kabuto. Sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing. You guys are the rookie teams this year, right?"

"What of it?" Naruto snaps.

"Well, I just thought you could use some help. See, I'm kind of a veteran around here; this is my seventh time taking the exam s-"

"Pft, you expect to help us when you can't even pass after four years? I'd rather you keep your 'help' to yourself if you seriously can't get the hang of how this works after so long. Sasuke, Sakura, let's grab our seats."

"Hold on, Naruto. He has to know something after so long." Sakura argues, earning a dismissive grunt from her teammate.

"Suit yourself, but I'll be taking my leave." So saying, Naruto walks around the side of the gaggle of desks, finding a few vacant seats in the front row and claiming the end one to give himself some space.

Sending a glare to respond to all the others already seated that draws their attention away, the blonde digs through his cloak's pocket for his scroll that he was previously reading and proceeds to pretend to tune out the world around him while he channels chakra to his ears for stronger hearing.

_Information cards? If anybody bothered to read the village archives and the Bingo Books like I do, those things would only be good for toilet paper. _Naruto snorts mentally after hearing Kabuto offer his so-called help.

Surprised, only slightly, when Sasuke asks for information on the Suna Jinchuriki, Naruto decides to focus his time finding the Sand Siblings instead, locating the calm and impassive bunch around the heart of the cluster. Not interested in the slightest when the team from Sound attacks Kabuto for calling their village small, he finds himself shaking his head when hearing Kabuto lose his lunch. Before the brawl can escalate further, Naruto's attention is drawn up front as the proctors appear.

"Sit down and shut up you brats!" Boomed a scar-faced man Naruto recognizes as Morino Ibiki, a Torture and Interrogation specialist and Tokubetsu Jonin. Quickly breaking up the fight, berating the participants, and explaining the rules of the written test, Ibiki surprises everyone but Naruto. Said blonde laughed to himself at a particular outburst about the cheating rule and Ibiki's response.

_Nice try, but you've proctored this exam since you retired from active duty outside of the village. That tenth question of yours is the easiest one of the entire exam. Then again, it's not like it'll be hard, you guys only strike out mundane methods of cheating, and I don't even need to cheat thanks to my Ojii-san. I wonder how long it'll take the others to figure out._

True to his mental-boasting, Naruto purposefully takes his time and finishes the nine questions in half the given time, making sure to cover his answers and flip the paper over so no one can cheat off of him the entire test. Resting his arms over the paper and staring at the clock until the final fifteen minutes, Naruto counts thirteen teams kicked out, leaving eighteen still remaining.

"Alright, pencils down and eyes front! Before I give you the final question, there's one rule that I didn't tell you. You get to choose whether to take it or not, and if you don't you are automatically failed. However, should you take it and get it incorrect…you'll be banned from the Chunin Exams for life."

"Ibiki-sensei, may I say something?" After the tenth team is psyched out enough to quit, and Ibiki opens his mouth to speak, Naruto raises his hand high in the air.

Ibiki looks to Naruto and gives a permissive-grunt. "Yeah, what?"

"The answer to the tenth question is to accept the question, isn't it? Just like the answer to the test was to use our information-gathering skills instead of actual knowledge—which is why you put Chunin in the crowd for us to cheat off of and why you only exempted mundane methods of cheating—proving you are a true Shinobi means taking risks and seeing through deception."

Ibiki and everyone else proceeds to stare at the blonde in shock and surprise. The silence is palpable, until Ibiki breaks out in uproarious laughter. "Well, well, looks like we have an interrogator in the making among us. Given how you answered every question with your eyes glued to your own paper, I wouldn't say I'm surprised. What's your name, kid?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Ibiki smiles his knowing smile. _So this is the kid, huh?_

Meanwhile, the same thought is racing through Sakura and Sasuke's heads. _How did he-? …He answered every question without even trying to cheat?! This CAN'T be/isn't Naruto/Usuratonkachi!_

Startled as something suddenly smashes through the window and into the room, the Genin all watch as a woman with purple hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a trench coat of a scandalous, mesh outfit appears. The banner behind her, blocking the proctors from view, reads: 'The sexy and single Ms. Mitirashi Anko!'

"Alright boys and girls, follow me for the second part of the Chunin Exams!"

Naruto has to bite his cheek to stop from laughing. _I think she took a page outta my book, should I charge for copyright infringement? _Naruto's eyes glimpse the banner once more and his smile disappears as he examines the woman more closely._ Wait…Mitirashi…Anko? Then she's Orochimaru's ex-apprentice. No wonder she's nuts. _

After some gripe between Anko and Ibiki, the unbelieving candidates get moving. Anko leads them to a training ground's gate that holds within it an ominous, overgrown forest. Giving a feeling of foreboding even in broad daylight, it was easy to tell why this place was called the Forest of Death. Granted a heaven's scroll as the rules are explained and wavers are signed, Naruto looks to the entry-gate in front of his team with a grin of glee.

_It looks like the real fun is about to finally begin._

* * *

"Man, this place gets creepier the farther in you get." Naruto mutters, earning a grunt and a frightened whimper from his teammates as agreement.

Immediately creating ten clones—eight to monitor the other teams, one for security, and another to scout their desired location—Naruto allows his team to get deeper into the forest, stopping them once he knows that the others are broken off far enough that they are alone.

"Hey guys, I think we're done here. Follow me to the tower."

Sasuke and Sakura look at him with the familiar stares that ask if he has brain damage. "Usuratonkachi, we still need an earth scroll. How do you even know where we're supposed to go? We've just been wandering."

Naruto gives one of his foxy-grins that cause them to do a double-take. "I don't think these proctors are as sharp-eyed as they believe, let alone the other Genin. Nobody noticed that there was an entire extra squad when they happened to be passing out scrolls."

Just as he says that, a team of kids that look like they could be siblings wearing Iwa headbands appears in a sushin, the boy at front point stepping forward as the henge absolves to reveal three Naruto's, offering their scroll. Naruto holds up the clearly-marked earth scroll for his squad-members to see.

"Right as this was at the top of her pile, too. Plus, I've got a bunch of clones running around and sent one of them to find the tower. It's at the very heart of the forest, just go straight for three more miles, taking a quick shortcut diagonally-across the field a ways, and wha-la." Naruto points straight ahead, taking front point as he puts the earth scroll in his cloak.

It was purely his battle instincts that had him pushing his teammates to the ground to avoid the shower of shuriken and kunai.

Unsealing the self-drawn seal on his sleeve to bring forth his cherished katana, Naruto is up on the balls of his feet and glaring at the offender in a matter of moments. A woman with long, dark hair, an angularly-square face, and dark-pink lips hops down from her hiding place among the trees and leisurely approaches them. Wearing a short-sleeved, cream-colored shirt that goes down to mid-thigh and is side-spliced to reveal her black pants over a black, long-sleeved and high-collar shirt, the woman's most notable appearance-aspect is her butterfly-rope-knotted belt and a sugegasa obscuring her headband.

_Okay, there's no way she had that many kunai and shuriken, or that it's possible we didn't get hit by a single one. She knows the Mass Kage Kunai and Shuriken Jutsu and is able to use them together, so that speaks volumes about her chakra-capacity, at least low-Jonin level. She's also confident enough in her ability to openly ambush us AND approach us at complete ease to follow it up. Summary; it looks like I'm getting a decent fight off the bat._ Naruto thinks, dropping into his Dance of the Crescent Moon Kenjutsu-stance while the others rise to their feet and each draw kunai before assuming a defensive-stance as well.

"Kunoichi-san, I'm Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha. I ask your name and village, now." Naruto barks out guardedly.

The Kunoichi stops a meter away from them, tilting her head slightly with her smug smile still in place. "I'm Shiroe of Kusagakure. It's nice to meet you, Uzumaki…Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widen at the tone when she used his name, barely giving him any reaction time as she shoots forward in a blur. As he ducks and rolls, Naruto releases the gravity seal Danzo allowed him to give himself after he started training with the fox, just as he stops mid-roll in a crouch and twists his upper-body forward while thrusting his sword straight for Shiroe's neck. Naruto gasps as her tongue shoots forward and bends backwards like a jointed-ligament to block the strike without her head even turning, though she does stop moving, giving Sasuke and Sakura the time to jump away.

"What…What the hell are you, lady?" Naruto mutters in disbelief.

As if straight out of a horror film, the Kusa-nin's head turns with a sickening sound of twisting bone and muscle in an unnatural way, a psychotic smile on her face and her eyes void of life. Having to fall to the side as the woman throws a handful of kunai like bullets from a gun, Naruto registers the wind of her passing and only has time to see her gaining ground on a further-withdrawing Sasuke and Sakura. Only thinking of his squad's safety, Naruto runs through the hand signs of one of his favorite Jutsu as quickly as he can and takes the deepest breath he can manage in only two seconds. Using a seal-less sushin to make it in her path with barely enough time to unleash the Jutsu as she continues to advance at phantom-like speeds, Naruto unleashes his breath as he calls the Jutsu-name mentally.

_Wind Release: Great Breakthrough! That ought to slow her down enough for-! Wait!_

Naruto barely manages to throw up his arm to block a solid punch delivered from the Kunoichi behind him. Not wanting to let her go because of her obvious target being his teammates, the blonde's raised wrist reaches in the blink of an eye to grab the still-extended jab by the wrist, and Naruto quickly uses the opportunity to create fifteen clones and surround Shiroe with katanas digging lightly into her body from every plausible direction. Without letting go of his captive, Naruto hurriedly spins to face her, ducking from the punch aimed at his face with her free hand while grabbing hold of that and stomping her toes before she has time to try a kick. Glaring at the somehow smiling Kunoichi, Naruto lets out a low growl to match her chuckle.

A low vibration from underground and the real Shiroe resurfaces like a mole. Just in time to receive an explosion to the face as all sixteen Naruto-clones detonate in the classic Suicide-Bomber Clone Jutsu. While the rapidly-infuriating opponent manages to narrowly avoid the explosion by sinking back below, the real Naruto descends from the trees, instantaneously summoning chakra in his hands and burying his sword hilt-deep into the earth from the force of his landing aided by his hands' increased strength.

_**Hurricane Katana: Pressure Damage Jutsu! **_Naruto screams in his mind, seals covering every inch of his katana's blade flaring to life with only the faint glow of red light escaping from underneath the embedded-hilt as any indication.

Chakra engraved into the blade and channeled through it from months of energy-storing and build-up is entirely converted to summoned wind-nature chakra and simultaneously condensed with the will of its master aided by the blade's multiple, engraved compression seals. The incredible amount of chakra permeating the very air is released in a giant burst all at once that sends very chunks of the earth airborne and the explosive boom ringing throughout the forest.

_GO NOW! _Upon the mental order, a barrage of two-thousand kunai and shuriken fly straight through the air all aiming for only one target. The enemy that was flailing through the air with the very ground from his sneak-attack is completely helpless against the storm of steel. With at least twenty embedded in her sides and back, her arms, legs, and hair are successfully pinned to the tree she was falling nearest, effectively immobilizing her. Meanwhile, the five clones all making a protective huddle around Sasuke and Sakura vanish, letting the previously-buried weapons fall to the ground. Waving his arm through the air, Naruto dismisses nearly every single clone-weapon from the field, blanking his mind completely so that the overload of memories literally goes through one ear and out the other.

Hands gripping his knees as his lungs hungry for air, it is Naruto's will which urges his body to stand straight. Molding his drained-reserves to perform a sushin to his prisoner, Naruto glowers at her in the eye-

His blood freezes in his veins as he leaps back in fear.

That is definitely not who he thought he was fighting.

"Orochimaru! What are you doing here, Snake Bastard?!" Naruto all but howls, his fists clenching in anger and fear.

The only answer is for the essence of death to become the very air as killing intent is emitted from the Snake Sannin like a second skin, freezing everyone in place. While Sasuke and Sakura freeze in terror, falling to their knees on the thick tree branch they haven't moved from, Naruto's muscles tense as if he turned to stone and his breathing stops for a solid minute while the sickening laughter fills the air. All of them watch as Orochimaru's limbs twist and stretch as if he were made of rubber, effectively freeing himself from imprisonment. He lands on the ground in a crouch, his already crumbling mask breaking off completely to reveal his entire face and his headband know showing he is with the Oto-nin.

The only thing to break the silence is Sasuke throwing up, drawing the attention of their very deadly enemy. Before he can leap to where his teammates are, Naruto unleashes his full speed, appearing in front of Orochimaru and sending a chakra-enhanced punch to his unprepared jaw and knocking him into the crater covering at least half of the forest's floor.

This doesn't stop him, as he twists again his body as though it were rubber to land on his feet, taking off in a blur before even fully skidding to a stop. Naruto curses and races the snake to his teammates; hopping to kami he has enough speed.

He's too late.

* * *

A/N: After ten days and stretching my free time, I DID IT! Well, I hope the fight scene was to your liking. I know it was kinda short, but I don't want to give away all what Naruto can do right of the bat.


End file.
